


the prompts of the opera

by fallenidolandfalsefriend



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Drabble, Ficlet, Friendship, Hurt, M/M, Romance, Tags May Change, Tumblr Prompts, Unrequited Love, body scars, erik gay, mentions of christine - Freeform, no comfort, raoul gay, rerik, rerik gay, sad and gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenidolandfalsefriend/pseuds/fallenidolandfalsefriend
Summary: a collection of rerik (e/r) drabbles or ficlets i’ll be writing based on prompt requests. uwu
Relationships: Raoul de Chagny/Erik | Phantom of the Opera
Comments: 46
Kudos: 60





	1. after everything we’ve been through, you still don’t think i love you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you still love her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there!
> 
> this will be a collection of prompt requests i will be receiving on my [tumblr](https://fallenidolandfalsefriend.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> this prompt was sourced from this [prompt list](https://hellsdemonictrinity.tumblr.com/post/160523410875/angstfluff-prompt-list).
> 
> some angsty rerik drabble to get the gears going. 🤪
> 
> erik’s pov

“After everything we’ve been through, you still don’t think I love you?”

His lips pressed against mine yet it was the taste of her perfume which lingered in my mouth.

I pulled back from him. “You still love her.”

“I love you as well.” Raoul caressed my cheek gently. “Isn’t that enough?”

He knew it wasn’t—I was at the losing end. What I had were scraps compared to the love he had offered her.

Yet I still told him that it was, for I could not afford to lose what I had of him.

And what I had wasn’t much. 


	2. it's cold, you should take my jacket.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> do you ever think about her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt sourced from this [prompt list](https://hellsdemonictrinity.tumblr.com/post/160523410875/angstfluff-prompt-list).
> 
> some sad and gay rerik! (surprise, surprise)
> 
> honestly, i didn’t expect it to be this long but i got too invested…damn it!
> 
> it’s just a damn jacket and i really made it all angsty. woah, just take it easy man! 
> 
> *i changed the word jacket to coat for it to be more fitting and appropriate!

“I miss her terribly,” Raoul muttered as they observed how the stars glistened above Palais Garnier.

It wasn’t a lie. Raoul did miss her, but what surprised him was the unexpected meaning behind his words. He missed the Christine he regarded as a childhood friend he held dear to his heart, not the Christine he swore his love to on the very rooftop they were admiring the stars from.

“Do you ever think about her?”

Erik hesitated, uncertain whether he should answer such a question. He was rather taken aback that Raoul started talking about her. For the past months that they have spent in each other’s company, they seemed to talk about everything except the person who meant the world to both of them.

“I do,” came Erik’s short reply.

Of course he did, more than he would like to admit to himself, and especially to someone whom her heart clearly belonged to. There was never a day when she did not frequent his mind. She had taken his heart and soul from him and fled from the city of Paris in the blink of an eye. He had become nothing but an empty shell of a man longing for her beauty, her voice, her kindness—her.

Raoul sighed and looked back behind him. Long ago, he and Christine held each other and shared a kiss under Apollo’s Lyre.

He vowed to spend a lifetime loving her. He promised that he would whisk her away from the darkness which followed her like a shadow. That darkness being the man who sat on his right.

His gaze shifted to Erik who was lost in his own little world at the thought of the soprano. How strange that months ago, they were at each other’s throat, wanting the other dead. Tonight, among many other nights, they sat beside each other and talked about nothing and everything.

Though he knew it did not make sense, he had grown comfortable in Erik’s presence—he would even consider him a friend. He could not say if the peculiar man felt the same, but Raoul’s life wasn’t at the mercy of his lasso ever since that...night. If friendship was out of the question, then at least he could say that Erik was civil towards him.

Raoul’s thoughts were interrupted when the cold started to get uncomfortable. He shivered and tried to ease the numbness of his hands by filling it with the warmth of his breath.

“It‘s cold,” Erik remarked, attempting to hide the concern in his voice. Raoul nodded in response. “You should take my coat.”

“That’s not really nece—” Raoul started to protest but Erik already started wrapping it around his shoulders. Raoul shuddered at Erik’s closeness. He was never this near before. He knew Erik mulled over the past quite often hence the distance the Opera Ghost tried so hard to maintain.

He was grateful that he could blame the cold for how scarlet his cheeks have turned. Erik was saying something but the only thing Raoul could think about was how Erik’s cool hands lingered on his shoulders.

Perhaps it was only his imagination.

But what if it wasn’t?

Raoul shifted his weight on his right arm and managed to close the distance between them. He hesitantly brushed his trembling lips against Erik’s before he finally kissed him.

He felt his heart flutter at the moment he felt Erik’s small gasp. He clenched his fists in nervousness. Raoul was frightened. It was terrifying to finally acknowledge the thought of having these kinds of affection for a man like Erik.

But nothing else mattered at this moment.

No, only Erik mattered to him.

He wondered since when that was so.

He decided to think about it later.

He started to move his lips against Erik’s with less uncertainty.

The rapid beating of his own heart was deafening. Was Erik’s heart beating with the same intensity?

Raoul’s eyes fluttered open in confusion when he felt the sudden absence of Erik. He was met with Erik’s distressed state, his eyes silently demanding an explanation.

“Forgive me, Erik,” Raoul stuttered, shrinking back in shame. “I don’t know what overcame me.”

Raoul’s head started to spin at the thought of Erik bearing ill feelings towards him. He tried his best to ease the tension by blurting out excuses which ended up not making any sense at all.

“My heart solely belongs to her.” Raoul nodded weakly, each word a knife through his heart. “So does yours.”

He was stupid. He was a naive and foolish boy, as Erik liked to describe him.

“Of course,” Raoul cleared his throat and pulled Erik’s coat closer to his body. He pretended it was Erik’s embrace. “I just got carried away by nostalgia.”

He only hoped Erik would believe such a poor excuse.

“That was quite unbecoming of me.” Raoul let out a small laugh and immediately looked to his left as he blinked away the silent tears. His lips still tingled from the sensation of the kiss.

“Raoul?”

He bit his lip as he felt more tears escape.

“I’m alright,” Raoul sniffed, wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his coat. He started laughing at how pitiful he must have looked.

Raoul looked at the empty streets of Paris and managed to disguise his broken heart with a smile.

“I was just thinking about her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> giving your jacket to someone else is a very romantic gesture but i've managed to taint that experience.
> 
> you can scream at how heartless i am by leaving reviews...😇
> 
> as always, thank you for reading!


	3. can't you stay a little longer?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i refuse to live in a world where you only exist as a memory. 
> 
> raoul’s pov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt sourced from this [prompt list](https://hellsdemonictrinity.tumblr.com/post/160523410875/angstfluff-prompt-list).
> 
> requested by [Mazen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazen/pseuds/Mazen) and tumblr anon!
> 
> this is less than a thousand words but the amount of time i spent editing this...i almost went a little crazy...
> 
> i hope it turned out just fine and it is to everyone's liking! 
> 
> also just a heads up: there's character death in this one!

“Can’t you stay a little longer?” I brought your cold hand to my tear-stained cheek. Your faint breathing was a painful reminder of how little time there was.

“Erik will try,” came your weak reply.

“Please.” I kissed the palm of your hand, it was already damp with my sweat and tears.

Why was it that no amount of tears will prevent you from leaving?

Do they mean nothing at all to you, Erik?

When have you grown so callous?

“Tears do not suit you...” You managed to whisper. “They never did.”

“Then I won’t cry anymore.” I quickly wiped my tears with the back of my hand but they still persisted to fall.

I took a deep breath and tried to relive the happiest moments I had with you.

But I couldn’t.

All I was able to picture was having to live in a universe where I could no longer hear your voice. 

I forced a smile. Please never doubt for a moment whether the smiles I’ve shown you were genuine. Today was different. It was all I could offer at the moment.

“See? I’m smiling!”

You slowly pulled your hand away from mine and gently stroked the back of my head. Your lips curled into a small smile. “Good boy.”

“I will keep smiling but only if you promise that you will remain by my side.” 

I saw how your eyes flickered in hesitation. Of course, you were not that cruel to feed me lies. I still would have preferred it if you gave me some sense of hope, Erik. Even if none of them were true. I was that desperate. I was willing to latch onto your empty promises. 

“Erik, promise me…” I pleaded.

“You know that...Erik doesn’t keep his...promises...”

“Then just this once, you must stay true to your word.”

You sighed. You’d shake your head in disbelief if you could. “Your optimism...has always been a huge flaw of yours...”

“I refuse to live in a world where you only exist as a memory. Don’t let me. Forbid me, I beg you!”

“You will be fine...You were happy even before you met me...”

“I am happier with you.” I laid my forehead against yours.

You closed your eyes in response as our tears started to mingle. “You say...the strangest things…”

“It is entirely your fault.” I frowned. “You made me like this.”

With your remaining strength, you pulled me closer so that my face was now buried between the space of your neck and shoulder. You told me how unpleasant it was to look at my crying face. I knew you were trying to protect me, Erik. You knew I was scared to see you finally succumb to death’s arms. “Go...ahead...tell me more...”

“You will listen, won’t you?” You only managed a faint response. “Don’t fall asleep or else I would not be able to forgive you.”

I had too many secrets that I kept from you, Erik. Where was I supposed to begin?

“Remember when you said music is everything to you?” You didn’t respond but I felt your chest rise and fall. 

“In the same way, that is what you are to me.” Though faint, I heard you chuckle inwards. You took my words as nothing but fairy tales being read to you before bedtime.

I kept speaking of my truths that you considered falsehoods. I spoke of them except for one. 

Forgive me, I was a coward.

I didn’t mind how you interpreted these confessions of mine as long as you listened. The only thing I wanted was to keep you alive.

That wasn’t much to ask, was it?

Your silence moments later was already an answer.

You were finally asleep.

You fell into an eternal slumber while I stayed awake in a reality where you have ceased to exist.

I then told the truth. I apologize for I had no courage to smile as these words left my lips. 

It should be something I was delighted to inform you about, but you heard nothing of it. It was no different than refusing to admit it. 

I finally gathered the courage to leave your embrace. I took a deep breath and looked at you. 

Your eyes, which used to glow with intensity like a cat’s, were now drained of life.

You were no longer Erik. You were now the ghost which most people at Palais Garnier knew of.

Forgive me for taking off your mask without permission. I waited for you to get up in anger and start scolding me. You remained silent.

As soon as I closed your eyes, I was able to cry to my heart’s content. My body trembled with grief. You were gone and I was the only one mourning your death.

No one would ever understand the pain of losing you, Erik. No one.

I left a kiss on your forehead and another one on your deformed cheek.

Still, no amount of kisses would bring you back.

I felt my heart crumble to pieces and I knew it would never be as pristine as when you owned it.


	4. stay here tonight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it doesn’t have to remain a dream, erik.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For [pakocsmells (jamie)](https://pakocsmells.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. ★
> 
> prompt sourced from this [prompt list](https://hellsdemonictrinity.tumblr.com/post/160523410875/angstfluff-prompt-list).

Raoul let himself sink into the tall man’s embrace. Erik’s coldness should come off as uncomfortable but Raoul had always found it comforting. Besides, the warmth building up on his cheeks seemed to compensate for it. They were, after all, in his bedroom which was barely illuminated by the moonlight. Neither of them dared to turn the lights on as everyone else in the de Chagny household was already asleep. Furthermore, the two of them did not want to be bothered while they wished each other good night.

Raoul smiled to himself and recalled how they snuck in through his balcony just moments ago. He had spent the whole time giggling as the masked man carried him on his back. On the other hand, Erik complained about his breath tickling his ear. Raoul thought it adorable how Erik pretended to dislike it even though his ears and neck had already gone scarlet. This was their nightly routine but he did not pay it any mind. If he was being honest, it was anything but an inconvenience.

“I had a lovely time tonight,” Raoul mumbled and buried his face in Erik’s chest. “Must you go?” 

“I’m afraid so,” Erik whispered against Raoul’s blonde locks. His heart skipped a bit while he let himself press a hesitant kiss on his head, unsure if it was something that Raoul would allow. He was able to relax a little more when he heard the boy’s contented sigh. 

“Stay here tonight,” Raoul whined. “Stay with me.”

Erik gently ran his fingers through the younger man’s golden curls and laughed inwardly at the silly request. “We will be seeing each other tomorrow at Palais Garnier.”

“It’s not the same.” His lips formed into a pout and clutched the back of Erik’s coat. ”I no longer want to waste a second without you by my side.”

Raoul pulled away from Erik’s arms and took both of his hands in his.

“Erik, let’s get married.”

He stared at him in bewilderment. “You’ve gone mad.” 

“Madly in love, I suppose.” Raoul pressed his lips against Erik’s hands, and bit his lower lip in an attempt to contain his excitement. “What do you think?”

“I…” Erik slowly pulled his hands away from Raoul’s grasp. “I think we shall not speak of it again.”

Raoul’s eager smile disappeared as soon as he heard his answer. Stunned, he could only stare at his lover’s hands which were no longer in his. “And why not?” 

Erik responded with silence as if he already expected Raoul to have a grasp of his unspoken reasons.

Raoul licked his lips, finding himself speechless. He finally decided to rest his hands on the other’s arms and inched his face closer to his, forcing Erik to meet his gaze. “Have I done something wrong, Erik? Please tell me. Why wo—” 

“I said not a word further.” Erik broke away from Raoul’s grip and hurried past him.

“You always do this, Erik,” Raoul protested as he turned around. Erik had already hid himself in the shadows. “You never lend me an ear.”

Erik stood silently in the corner, with his back against the wall and arms across his chest. 

“Have you no desire to be with me?”

“I _am_ with you.” 

“For a lifetime, Erik. I fail to think of a future without you in it.” Raoul took a step forward, closing the distance between them but stopped just within an arm’s length. “Am I in yours?”

When he saw Erik hesitate, he placed his hands on both sides of his face. 

“Will you let me?” 

“Raoul,” Erik warned.

With a firm voice, Raoul told him, “I shall not stop until you give me a proper answer.” 

“I cannot.” The young man took a step back in disbelief as he felt a teardrop trickle down on his cheek. He slowly sat on the edge of his bed, feeling the discomfort in his chest starting to suffocate him. He fumbled with the bow wrapped around his neck, trying to find relief but found none even after he threw it aside. “I simply cannot do that to you.”

“You speak as if it is the worst crime being married to you.” Raoul wiped his tears with the back of his hand. He fixed his gaze on the patterns on the wall and tried his best to ignore the growing unpleasantness in his heart.

“You are a fool to think otherwise.”

“So be it,” Raoul muttered.

“I will not have you throw your life away.”

“How could you say such a thing?” Raoul cried out as he shifted his position on the bed to face Erik. “If anything, there is no life to speak of without you in it.”

Erik sighed at his stubbornness. “You’d be naive to choose to be empty-handed.”

“That is why I am choosing _you_!” Raoul stomped his feet as he stood up. He winced at the pain he felt from the nails digging through his palms, but it was nothing compared to what his heart was going through. 

“What you’re asking is impossible.”

“I want to spend my life with you.” Raoul found the courage to situate himself in front of Erik once again. His lips trembled as he tried his hardest to compose himself. “Why won’t you allow me?”

“You are aware that I’m not the only one who wouldn’t.” 

“Not the only…? I don’t give a damn about what other people say!” He waved his arms in frustration.

“You are a _vicomte._ It is your _duty_ to give a damn!” Erik snarled.

Raoul stared at him in disbelief. “Since _when_ have you cared about _that?”_ His lips curled into an unamused smile. “Since when was I a vicomte _to you_?”

“Raoul, stop acting like a child!” Erik hissed.

“Then stop treating me like one!” Raoul finally snapped at him, earning a startled expression from Erik. Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair and let them cover his face as he tried to calm himself down. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to…I just...”

Raoul took a deep breath. “I just need to ask you one last time, and then I shall never approach the subject again. Please be honest with me...and with yourself. In your heart, do you...will you ever want me for a husband?” 

How Raoul wished that Erik’s silence was a yes. 

Raoul’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Then what are we doing? I thought...you...you often expressed how you wanted to live a _normal_ life. You often spoke of wanting to be part of...you desired to have someone who you could take out on Sundays...I...I don’t understand...I thought for a moment...that...that we were on the same page.”

“It has not changed.”

“I see. It is a dream which there is no place for me,” Raoul silently concluded as his tears clouded his perspective. 

“I’m afraid it will remain a dream for as long as I shall live.”

“But it doesn’t have to remain a dream, Erik.” Raoul clasped his right hand gently and laid it on his chest. “I am willing to give you much more, just ask it of me. If you would only let me.”

Raoul went down on one knee while his hands intertwined with Erik’s. “I know it is quite impossible for two men to wed...but please...listen to me...we can exchange our vows, just you and I, and no one else. No one else will matter.” 

“I will be dragging you down to hell even before you can take me to heaven.”

“Then drag me if you must—I _want_ to be where you are,” Raoul begged.

“That is not my dream.” Erik kneeled down in front of him. Raoul saw how those golden orbs flickered in fear. “That is my nightmare.”

“Then, is this how things ought to end?” 

“Raoul, this does not change anything between us.”

Raoul got up on his feet and managed the faintest smile despite the lack of truth behind his words. Raoul shook his head as if to say: _this changes everything._

“Unfortunately, you and I clearly have painted different pictures of our future. I genuinely thought we were on the same page, only to find out that we were on different books after all. The thought of eventually going our separate ways is much too painful. Even now, the sorrow is suffocating, and I do not think it will ever stop as long as my heart is beating—if at this moment, it still is. I suppose doing it now would ease the pain.” Raoul paused at the sound of his voice cracking. “Yet...it is unfair how...how...I am also in agony without you! Oh, how I despise it! I have turned into a weak man who cannot live with or without you!”

Raoul turned his back on Erik, muffling his sobs with his hands. He roughly removed his coat and threw it on the floor, coughing. Erik felt helpless as he witnessed how Raoul's silhouette trembled and struggled for air. He did not dare utter a word more for he knew he had already said enough—or too much—for him to finally reach his breaking point. Perhaps from now on, even his touch would deem unbearable for Raoul. Even so, he went against his doubts this time. Erik rose to his feet.

He heard the stifled gasp come out of Raoul’s mouth when his fingers brushed against his shoulder. The boy tried to dismiss it but Erik quickly took him in his arms and pulled him closer until his back was against his chest. 

“Let go of me!” Raoul whimpered in protest even though it was the last thing he wanted Erik to do. Fresh tears slid down his cheeks the moment Erik responded by bringing his body even closer.

He heard his unsteady breath mingling with his as he nestled his chin on the top of his head. Raoul shivered at the sudden sensation of something cold and wet on his head. Realizing what it was, the young man eventually clung to the soaked sleeve across his chest. Together, they wept until numbness and exhaustion took over. 

With a heavy sigh, he leaned back further and closed his eyes, letting himself drown in the embrace of the man he loved and the uncertainty of what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa it has been a whole month since i've updated!
> 
> i've got to say, this prompt took me the longest to finish so far but i'm so glad i can finally put it up. i think this has to be the most dialogue-heavy piece i've done for rerik.
> 
> and of course, as always, you're welcome to scream at me in the comments!
> 
> thank you so much for reading! ✿


	5. who hurt you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he left his marks hoping i’ll forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drabble | erik’s pov

“Who hurt you?”

I could not bear to tell him that they were more than I could remember.

Raoul wept, tracing the thorns of my very existence, as if my scars were fresh wounds which still bled under his fingertips.

His tears attempted to wash away my sorrows, while his kisses tried to veil the hatred which had seeped deep into my skin.

He left his marks hoping I’ll forget.

I know I won’t.

But I’ll remember.

I’ll remember the man who cried for my sake.

Who hurt me?

It no longer mattered as long as it was not him.


End file.
